Saba Duer dropped the scroll shestudied and sprinted outside to find her aunt aiding a tall, gangly youth limpacross the center yard of the village. The boy dragged one leg, his leathertrousers torn and stained dark with blood. Fear made bile rise in her throat.Her stomach churned on a rush of acid.

“We must get him inside, Saba.”Jennica spoke calmly with the gift she had for not alarming the injured.

Saba nodded her agreement with heraunt as they eased Hallaf closer to her hut. Her stomach roiled as she spotteda group of boys watching them with eyes gone wide with fear. This was thelegacy the children had now, the legacy theerrolhad brought them. Shegave them something to do, a chore to keep them busy and make them feel useful.

“You boys run and fetch water fromthe well. Each of you bring me a bucket then gather one piece of firewood fromeach family and bring it to my hut.”

Some of the people would howl ather commands, but she couldn’t send such little ones outside the walls untilshe knew where Hallaf had seen theerroltracks. She herself would seethe firewood replaced and water from the stream brought in for those whocomplained about their forced charity.

Hallaf was white with pain, and fear,as Saba and Jennica eased him onto the surgery bench. If his leg neededstitched, and Saba was sure it did from the size of the bloodstain on hispants, it would be quite painful. Hallaf made a request of her, one that toreat her heart over the poverty her people were reduced to.

“Don’t cut my pants more. I have noothers.”

“Rest easy, Hallaf. We’ll takecare.” Saba slid the tattered garment off his hips. The youth was pale skinover bone, as so many were these days. “Lift his foot, Aunt.”

Once removed, Jennica folded thetrousers into a loose ball. “I’ll treat these withkaraarootimmediately. It will remove the worst of the stain, perhaps even all.” Shepatted Hallaf’s bony shoulder. “I have some spare cloth for mending, and thesewill be almost as good as new.”

Saba examined the wound on Hallaf’sthigh. Long and jagged, it had missed the major blood conduit. He was lucky inthat. He would live unless the wound corrupted. What he may not be so fortunatein was the muscles healing without twisting.

“I will have to stitch it. It’syour best hope of walking normally when healed.”

Hallaf paled even further, but henodded. “C-can you give me some of the sleeping nectar?”

Saba hesitated. She had only a fewdrops left, and knew there was little more to be found in the village. As thehealer, she needed to save the precious liquid for the most serious of injuries.She didn’t even have enough to mix with red grass tea to ease a birthing woman.

“I’ll see what can be done. Lieback and relax as much as you can while I cleanse this.”

A shadow fell across Hallaf andSaba turned to find Tyree standing in her doorway. She’d known he’d come theminute word of an injury spread around the village. The boys scampering abouton their errands would draw everyone’s attention.

Tyree entered her hut, coming tostand beside Hallaf, covering the youth’s hand with his. Saba listened intentlyto their conversation. Tyree was many things she didn’t like, but he wasskilled in gently getting information from the injured, his voice surprisinglysoft when he needed it to be.

He’d had much practice over thelast seven seasons of Wae.

“Is this the work of theerrol?”

“No, Tyree. I was traveling theeast road and went off on the path to the holy shrine. There I saw fresh tracksof theerrol. It…it frightened me and I ran. I tripped and fell onto asharp stick.”

“I see. I will take a few men andgo to the shrine and take a look around. Saba will explain to you the foolhardinessof being on the east road alone.”

“Although I suspect you’ve justpaid a high price to learn the knowledge on your own. Saba.” Tyree nodded toher and left the hut. She heard him calling to his men-at-arms.

Saba busied herself tending the wound.She had no intention of scolding Hallaf. Tyree was correct. The young man hadlearned the hard way. Sighing tiredly she opened her bottle of sleeping nectar.It was all she had left unless and until she could get into the forest togather the plant from which it was distilled.

“Drink it all, Hallaf, because thisis going to hurt. A lot.”

* * * *

Saba pressed a cool cloth toHallaf’s forehead. He was warm, but not overly so. She attributed it to thestress of receiving such an injury. A quiet knock sounded on her door. She knewwho it would be.

“Come in, Tyree.”

He entered quietly and eased histall frame onto a wooden stool Saba kept by the fire. He lifted the lid on herstew pot, abruptly dropping it, and blowing on his fingers. She chuckled andhanded him a piece of leather toweling.

“If you’re going to be nosy, youcan stir the stew, too.”

He didn’t look at all chastised, henever did, but her stew got stirred. She slid one of her wooden chairs in frontof the hearth and sank wearily into it.

“You may have some stew if you’rehungry.”

“My thanks, Saba, but my men and Ishared a fowl. I will dish some up for you, if you wish.”

The last thing she wanted was himwaiting on her. He wanted her for a wife, and she generally sought to discouragehim. He looked at her curiously.

“It’s only a bowl of stew, Saba. Ican see how tired you are. Can you not accept even a tiny kindness from me?”

“You make me feel small, Tyree.”

“That is not my intention and youknow it. Do not seek to quarrel with me. I am tired, as well. I’m here to speakwith you, not try to bed you.”

Despite her relief that shewouldn’t have to fend him off yet again, the female in her was annoyed. Andwhat annoyed her even more was that she was annoyed. She hated her own ambivalencewhere Tyree was concerned. The whole village thought they should mate. It wouldbe an advantage to have the two village leaders couple. She just didn’t havethe right feelings for him.

Or so she believed. She wasn’t sureshe didn’t have them, either. Just what were those feelings like, anyway?

“So speak, Tyree. Did you findevidence of theerrol?” She shivered just thinking of the creature beingso close to the village again.

Tyree’s lips thinned. “Yes. It wasat the spring. The tracks are several days old. Hallaf isn’t skilled at readingsuch signs.”

“He has other gifts. Tyree, I needto go into the forest and harvest some plants. I would not ask if the need wasnot critical.”

He regarded her coolly. She waspreparing to argue with him when, to her surprise, he nodded.

“Many need to go beyond the walls.Tomorrow will be fair weather. Send the boys to tell those you need to assistyou. I’ll assign guards.” He rose and retrieved a bowl off her shelf, thenspooned two ladlefuls of stew into it. He handed it to her.

“Here. You will eat this. I will goand ask Hezetta to light a fire for you in the bathing chamber. When it’sready, I’ll come back and sit with Hallaf. Afterward, you will rest.”

“I think you overstep yourself. Ido not take such directions from you.”

“I know you think that, but youneed to consider this. You’re headwoman of this village. Just forget for a momentthat it’s my wish to mate with you and remember that you’ll be no good to me oranyone else if you collapse. Now do as I wish just this once. Must I beg?”

That brought her up short. He wasnot the kind of man who begged anyone for anything. Not even her. She took acloser look at him and was shocked by what she saw.

When had that gray begun gracinghis temples? How long had those lines creased his face? She’d been so involvedwith the cares of the village she’d not paid attention to him. The peopleneeded him, too.

“You are even more tired than I am.I’m sorry, Tyree. A bath would be appreciated.”

“Perhaps I could sleep by yourfire?”

So he was exhausted, was he? Thatcertainly sounded like the Tyree she’d known all her life. She rolled her eyesat him.

“No. But if Hezetta goes to all thetrouble to make a fire, maybe she’ll keep it warm for you when I’m through.”

He snorted. “We must find a husbandfor Hezetta, and one whose name is not Tyree.” He stood and stretched. “I won’tbe long. Eat your stew.”

With that he left, going about hisself-appointed errands. Saba stared into the fire, spooning bites of thetasteless stew into her mouth. She needed more than the healing plants. All thewomen complained of the need for fresh herbs to make their cooking more palatable.

She finished her meal and checkedon Hallaf before gathering her meager bath supplies. Things had been differentbefore theerrolhad appeared. The village had prospered. They’d tradedthe bounty of their forest with others and been considered wealthy by all theirneighbors. Things had changed. Now she had only rough soap to wash with, andthat had to suffice for her hair, as well. What she really wanted were fresheolaleaves and their rich, fragrant lather.

It was an unprosperous vanity andthat was all there was to it. Her long brown hair may not be as pretty as thegolden tresses most women had, but it had gleamed in the sunlight. Honey-goldenhighlights appeared in her hair every season of Wae. Many had commented on theshining circlet the sun gave her. Now her hair was as dull as everyone else’s.

Vanity and pride would be herdownfall. Her mother had told her that many times.

Nonetheless, if she could find theright plants tomorrow, she’d be able to wash her hair and have it truly cleanand shiny, at least for a few days.

It had been a long time since she’dgone to the bathing chamber, preferring to heat water and bathe in a basinrather than face Hezetta. Hezetta truly wished to couple with Tyree and sawSaba as an obstacle. It was just easier to bathe privately than in the warmwater in the cave. Now she was tired enough that the thought of sinking intothe gently swirling water and soaking her tired muscles sounded like bliss.

Her door opened and her aunt camein holding Hallaf’s leather trousers. She laid them on the table.

“I did what I could. We all neednew garments, but there are no pieces of fine leather left, no wool from thewild goats. We should leave this place, Saba, and settle elsewhere. Let theerrolhave these woods.”

Saba’s stomach clenched. Jennicaonly voiced what many thought, what she sometimes thought herself when she layawake in the still darkness of the deep night. They could go, find a new placeto settle. Hadn’t her own mother’s ancestors done that very thing when they’dsettled here?

No, she could not. This was herhome. Her mother, and her mother’s mother, were buried here, in the woods.Their deaths, and the deaths of all those who came before them, was the priceof the freedom they all claimed as their way of life. She couldn’t turn herback on this place.

Theerrolhad come hereseeking something, but no one knew what. Speculation was rampant, but onefrightful thing was certain—the creature was intelligent. It had come here,where game was plentiful, the water pure, and the land bountiful.

It had killed outright, true, butnot for many years. Now it only responded if threatened. Unfortunately, itsclaws were poisonous and many people could not survive the toxin. Even a smallnick was deadly.

Many refused to see the truth ofit. Many believed it killed indiscriminately and for pleasure. Saba didn’twaste her breath arguing with them. Regardless of facts, regardless of anything,only one truth mattered. They could not coexist peacefully with the creature.

Saba nodded at her aunt’s words. Itwas the only way to stop Jennica from rambling on and on about it.

“Tyree is coming to sit with Hallafwhile I go to the bathing chamber. Will you see that he eats some stew?”

“Of course. Are we really goingoutside the walls tomorrow?”

“Perhaps. You and I will certainlygo. I’ve not decided who else need take the risk. The fewer of us wanderingabout, the less chance theerrolwill feel threatened if it happens toreturn.”

Jennica nodded her agreement. Sabathought again on how strange it was that she was actually older than her aunt.It would be a relief to receive counsel instead of giving it constantly. Sheopened her door to gaze out at the sunset. Tyree was approaching, smiling. Hehanded her a small, pink wildflower. She gazed at it, open-mouthed.

“Where?” she croaked. The petals oftheeolawere what she needed to wash her hair. Crushed, they made theperfect lather.

“Just outside. This was the onlyone. I know I should not have picked it since it was, but I had to bring it toyou.”

Saba bit the inside of her lip. Hewas right. He should not have taken it. But he’d done it as a kindness and sheshould accept it as such. Besides, the deed was accomplished. There wasn’t away to put the flower back on its stalk. She smiled at him.

“Thank you, Tyree… By the gods,what is that?”

Tyree spun around as a fireballshrieked from the sky, falling behind the western hill. The noise was deafeningas the sound of a large collision reached them. Flames stretched toward thesky. Villagers ran from their huts, drawn by the light and the noise. Saba’sknees threatened to give way.